{2d you, as we read it, then he means their preſent ftate tince they be- lieved and obeyed the Call of the Goſpel, they were brought there-- by into God's Kingdom and Glory, Or, his Glorzous X77gJom, where= in the Glory of God, eipecially the Glory of his Grace, Mercy, Love, and Wiſdom eminently ſhine forth, Hereupon a Chriſtians Calling is termed an High Calling, Phil. 3.14. an Heavenly Calling, #ev, 2,1, And they being called by God out of Satan's Kinglom into tas got ous Kinzdom ; the Apottle chargeth them to walk worthy "of Gu. and this Calling, by having a Converſation ſuitable thy; eunto, Epi. 4. t. Col. 1.10. To walk according to the Laws of this glorious King dom they were already brought into, and ivitably to the glury of H:ca- ven that they were called to the hope ot. = ;
13 For this cauſe alſo thank we God witnout ceat- ; ing, becauſe when ye received the word of God whicii 4 Or , te
ye. heard of us ||, ye received it * not as tihenrd of word of men ||, z but Cas it is in truth!) the word of997%%.. God k, which effeually worketh alſo 1n you that be- , **.* =
lieve 1, X i The Apoſtle having given the reaſons on his part, and his tel-f Or, ye
low Minifters, why the Goſpel hail luch efect upon them, he net yorerved
proceeds to ſhew the reaſon on their part, for which he giveth Gul ;z47 tþ-
thanks. And that is, from their manner of receivivg it, LIhougit wgr of
this as well as the former are but ſubordinate reatons, Firit , ew,
they heard it, ſome will not do that: and therefore te Apoſtle here!! Yr, truly.
calls it a word of hearing, as K&9m.10.an Acrifin,t th cometh by hetr-
ing. 2. They received it; [he word importeth a receiving with atfe-
&ion, as Fejeph the Virgin Mary to his Wite, Mar. 1. 20, 3. they
received it not as the word of men, which we receive lometimes douMht-
ing,ſometimes diſputing it ; or believing it only with an lumane Faith,
upon grounds of reaſfon,as the dittates of Fhilo!ophy,or on the reports
of men ; and without the impreſſion of the Authority of God npon our
minds, or when we receive the word of God becauſe of the eloquence
or learning, of the Preacher, and the aftection we bear to him, or ac»
miration of his Perſon, or as the Papiſts, we believe it ccauie thy
Church believeth it, & Wich a Divine Faith, ready Subjeciion ot our
Souls to it, and with Reverend Attention, as a word that 1;
from Heaven z which the Apolile poſitively afferts in way ot pa-
L
renthefis. As it is in truth, or truly, they belicved, fo he dilperica
ch-
moos Lunt
l;
« C "$9
the VWorctd to Tien, aid they rec{ivod ut,
edue ihirks rs God, Having mentim;et before the ſubordinate Rea 165% afthe kincacy of the Wor!, be now mentions the PrinciPal,whici 3S G a bimclt. That any receive the Word as the Word of God, it 15
FR, EP [r- 1 -?, «* 6 "447 (9 reac 1C3 5 34
Wor with a Divine Taith, which i; not done without Divine Grace : then they oo te tre't of their Minittry, for which they ought to give 'Tha Lie poweridl working of Gol is ulully expretied by this Woiil. F5b. 1. 19, £5,:.10;. And the working of Satan allo, Epr.
ti. 2, Men rolefed gith the Devil, Men called Frergumenr,
n -v : Es at _— OF” hs Alt 0313S ETETSY, BY WOLEC
« Adqianr* Þ»} a0, - \&. '- ' >
\ "a - IC1:* is | \ LY .>4 #3 NUITIT Nile 344 i?
& <6. is 64)
Laticacn ot lore, chap, rt. 5. and all from henc?, their receiving the
MV ortesthe Word of Gail, and fu recaining It,
14 For #2 ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God, which in Judea are in Chriſt Jeſus » ; for ye alſo have ſuffered like things of your own coun-
trey-rmen o, even as they hve of the Jews p.
mm This proves the Aſſertion of the foregoing Verſe, as the Jllative Eor doth ſhew., They were Followers of the Churches in Fudea, which Though the greateſt part of the Fows belicied not, yer many did, and hereupon we read Though rhere was betore but one National vernow in Golpcl times the Churches were many, # And b-l:eving ir Chriſt they are called Churches i» hm, gathered together
ſhewed the Word wrouulitin them cfettually,
of Churches in Fi-a, Church,
in his Name, into his Inſtitutions, and by his Spirit, and theſe Theſſa- tonians became jolywers, or imitators of them, or in the fame Cir- cumfances wich them. The Churches among the Fews were the firſt planted, and the Gentile Churches followed them, conforming to the Faith, Worſhip and Ocder that was firſt in them, yea, and imitating their Faith an! Patience in ſuftering,
is uncertain, For the Periccution mentioned As 17, was chiefly from the Jewiſh 5yragogue, though the Gentiles might alſo join with them therein, p They ſuffered As the' Churches of Fudea, namely, in the fame kind, as Z-%. 10. 22, 33, 34. Andan the ſame Cauſe, and with the fame Joy, Cenftancy ana Courage : And here Chriſt's Words are fulfilled, that a May's Enemies ſhall be tioſe of his own Houſe, Mat,
"Wee: - Dates
15 Who both killed the Lord Jeſus q, and their own
1 Oc, cþ:- prophets, and have || perſecuted us; and they pleaſe not fed us ur, God 5s, and are contrary to all men fe.
ol Ac. Il'3, 59. & If £19. &
I 9. 9.
q No wonder then though they have perſecuted you, and the be- leving Fews their Country-Mmen. | 'They Killed the Lord Jeſus by the hands of Pilare, crying, Crucite him, crucitie him, Though it 'was by God's determinate Counſel, and the Roman Power, yet by the Fews malice they Lied him, Mat. 21, 38, This is the Heir, let us kil him, r Of their own Nation, and directed and ſent particularly to them of God ; fo that it was no new thing in them thus todo. Not that theſe individual Fews who perſecuted Paxl, killed the Prophets, but they were of the ſame Nation, the ſame Blood, and of the ſame Spirit with them, and were the Children of them that killed the Pr9- phets, as our Saviour charged them, Mar, 23. 31, The Spirit of Per- {cution was natural to them; it deſcended from one Generation to another : Their Kings were guilty of it, their Prieſts, their Falſe Prophets, and the common People. And though better things might be expetted of the F-ws than any other People, yet thus they did, And it was not only becauſe of the new Doctrin or Worſhip that the Apo- files preached, for they killed their own Vrophets before them ; but i was their Love to their Luſt, Hatred of Reproof, Enmity to Holinels, ©. that was the caule. And Chriſt himſelt chargeth them with the ſame things, Mat. 23. 37. 0 Ferufalem, thou which killeſt the Prophets,
&c. and foretels it as that which they would yet practiſe, Mat, 23. 24. |